Ender
by StoneInTheSea
Summary: A slightly different take on New Moon. Bella has turned 18, but the incident with her birthday party never happened. Edward decides to leave Forks for a different reason...CHAPTER 14 IS UP!
1. 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon****. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

Takes place during New Moon. Bella has turned 18, and the incident with her birthday party never happened. Edward decides to leave Forks for a different reason. There may be lots of New Moon scenarios/dialogue throughout the story, but this is just a different twist on the book as a whole.

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"Keep your eyes closed, Bella," Edward ordered as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom, his hands covering her eyes.

"Having me walk upstairs with my eyes closed is not a very smart thing to do, Edward. It's just a broken limb waiting to happen," Bella said as she walked clumsily up the steps.

"I won't let you fall," Edward assured her, placing his cool hand on the small of her back.

Immediately, her heart began to race. She blushed and cleared her throat uncomfortably. She was relieved, like she had been so many times before in situations like this, that he could not read her thoughts.

"Just a few more steps...Okay. Stop, but keep your eyes closed," he said when they reached the threshold of her bedroom. He took her face in his hands and ever so gently, lowered his mouth to capture hers in a short, but sensual kiss.

"Is this my surprise?" She whispered, nuzzling his neck with her nose.

"Do you think that I'm that unoriginal?" Edward asked, chuckling softly.

Bella lowered her head, laughing.

"Open your eyes," he whispered softly in her ear, sending shivers down the length of Bella's entire body.

She looked around her bedroom, puzzled. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Um..." she looked at Edward questioningly.

He smiled her favorite crooked smile.

"Just listen," he said as he strode over to her stereo and popped in a CD. Softly, she heard the tinkling of a piano begin to play a very soothing, familiar tune.

"My lullaby?" She asked, breathless.

"You said you didn't like people spending money on you, so I knew buying you a piano and playing these songs for you was out of the question," he teased.

"I love it," she told him.

"Happy birthday, Bella." He walked over to her with such an intense look in his eyes that it made her knees tremble and her mouth go dry.

"Dance with me," he said as he took her hand and put it around his neck. He held her body close to his as they swayed to the beat. She could have stayed like this forever, perfectly content.

Her lullaby ended, but they were still in each other's arms. Edward pulled away from Bella slightly, and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked.

"Charlie– " he started.

"–Was called into work on short notice. He'll be gone all night," Bella finished for him.

He contemplated her request for a moment.

"I'll stay," he whispered, as he kissed her forehead.

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This is my first fanfic, so please Read and Review. I'll take any comments, good or bad so I know what I can do better. Thank you!! 


	2. Burn

**Author's note****: Thank goodness the site is working again! I would have liked to upload this a couple of days ago, but oh well. I realized that I never specified that it was actually Bella's birthday in chapter 1. Sorry, my mistake. I made a minor change in chapter 1. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Thank you for those of you who reviewed! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book Twilight/New Moon. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. **

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"I'll be right back," Bella said pulling away from Edward.

"Human minute," she said, winking.

He nodded, smiling. "I'll be waiting," he told her, causing her stomach to do somersaults.

Bella grabbed a few necessities and hurried to the bathroom. In a flurry, she showered and brushed her teeth. When she was done, she pulled on a pair of faded plaid pajama pants, and an old oversized shirt of Charlie's, and half ran down the hallway to her bedroom.

When she entered her room, Edward was lying on her bed, propped up by his left arm, looking like he had been plucked straight from a magazine photo.

"Tada," she said, curtsying.

"I'm impressed by your speed," he said jokingly.

She jumped on the bed and lay down, snuggling closer to him. He slipped both arms around her body and breathed in her scent.

"You smell exquisite," he told her, while burying his face in her hair.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. "Not just for that, but for everything. Tonight, my birthday gift..." she trailed off.

"Eighteen is an important year," Edward said.

"I want to stay eighteen forever," Bella sighed.

"Why?" Edward asked.

She looked up at him. "So we can stay like this forever."

Edward wasn't sure if she was hinting towards what he thought she was or not, so he quickly changed the subject. He was not about to argue with her on her birthday about changing her.

"Alice begged me to let her throw you a big, fancy party, but I told her how you despised them," he said, grinning.

Bella laughed softly. "I appreciate the gesture, but all I wanted for my birthday was to spend it with you," she said, lazily tracing patterns on his chest with her fingers.

"Edward?" She said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"Hmm?" he responded.

"Are you happy? With us, I mean?" She asked.

"I'm in love. I believe I'm happier than I have ever been," he answered.

She looked up at the ceiling.

"Do you ever...want...more...?" She asked, shyly.

She could feel him smiling in her hair and her cheeks burned crimson.

"Bella, I've told you before. I may not be human, but I am still a man," he said.

"You didn't answer my question," she challenged. "Do you ever want more?" She sat up now and looked him in the eyes.

Edward hesitated a bit before he spoke. "Bella...I don't deny feeling things for you that I have never felt before. I just...I know that I can't...ever act upon those feelings in any other way than I do now," he said.

"I understand," she said, slightly saddened by the thought of never being able to experience things with Edward that she would one day like to.

She sighed and lay back down. Edward began twisting strands of her hair around his fingers, lightly massaging her scalp. She smiled, reveling in the sensations he was giving her.

Suddenly, she turned to him with serious eyes.

"Kiss me," she said with more courage than she ever thought she could have.

Edward denied her request, slightly concerned at the hint of desire in her voice.

"You should get some sleep, Bella," he said finally.

"No!" She said, her voice rising. "I want you to kiss me," she said, more gently.

Edward gave her a look that seemed to say, _'After what I just told you...' _

"Bella, you overestimate my self-control," he mumbled.

She pulled him to her and he couldn't resist. His mouth was on hers in an instant. He kissed her slowly, gently, as usual. She maneuvered herself under him, and he rolled over on her, careful to support his weight on his arms. Her hands found their way up his shirt and inched up his back slowly. Edward squeezed his eyes shut as he savored the feeling of her warm hands roaming his cool back. Realizing what he was doing, Edward pulled away from her roughly and sat up on the bed.

"No. No, Bella," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said between ragged breaths. "I'm sorry, Edward. I should have known better," Bella said shaking her head.

Seeing Bella's defeated spirit in that moment, Edward realized that he would never be able to give her what she wanted. To him, it wasn't fair to her to be with someone who couldn't give her the kind of love she deserved to be shown.

"I should go," Edward spoke slowly.

Bella sat motionless on her bed as he walked out of her room. A split second later, she heard his Volvo tear down the street, away from her house. She threw herself back into her pillows and sighed.

Edward used the drive home to deliberate his relationship with Bella. He loved her. There was no ounce of doubt in his mind about that. Yet, he always knew in the back of his mind that someday, kissing and hugging wouldn't be enough. He knew that he had to make a decision for the sake of Bella's happiness. He turned off the car engine when he reached his house, and walked up the stairs to his bedroom. Alice was already waiting for him in the doorway of his room with troubled eyes.

"Edward," she started. "Please don't do this."

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**Please bear with me, I have essays looming over my head** **and professors on my behind. I will try to update as often as I can, that is, if you guys want me to. ;)**


	3. Revelation

**Author's note****: I know it must be irritating that I started this a few weeks ago and I'm barely on the 3****rd**** chapter, but like I said, bear with me. I'm trying to write chapters between essays and schoolwork, plus I have a new puppy to take care of. )**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book Twilight/New Moon. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

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Edward brushed past Alice, slightly annoyed that she saw what he had been planning to do.

He began hastily putting things in a bag for the sheer point of just having something to keep his hands busy.

"Edward, please stop!" Alice cried.

"What did you see?" Edward demanded.

"Different things...You stayed...You left..." she started.

"And Bella?" Edward asked.

Alice was silent for a moment. "You're going to break her heart." She finally said.

Edward closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I know..." he whispered.

"Then why are you even considering leaving?" Alice asked.

"I'm leaving for Bella's sake. She needs to experience life and love without me holding her back. _Real_ _life_. She can't live in darkness, Alice; She's not one of us. I can't even go into the sun with her in public...I can't do a lot of things with her...It's for the best," he said.

"Carlisle and Esme?" Alice asked.

Edward shook his head. "They can't persuade me otherwise."

"When will you tell her?" Alice questioned.

"Tomorrow. After school." He replied.

Alice turned and walked out of the bedroom. Edward sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. Tomorrow would be the hardest thing he would ever have to endure.

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**I know this was pretty much a filler chapter, but there will be more to come, I promise!**


	4. Starlight

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book Twilight/New Moon. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

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**12:51 A.M.**

The sky was pitch black with a blanket of twinkling stars strewn across it. Edward hadn't moved since he spoke with Alice earlier. He heard the faintest sound of footsteps outside of his door and he feared that they belonged to Carlisle or Esme. Edward didn't want to be the cause of any tension or hostility in the house, so he had thought it would be better if he just left without a word. He was hoping that Alice would tell them all in her special way, that it was for the best.

A soft knocking sound interrupted his thoughts, and he strode across the room to open his door. Once again, Alice was on the other side of it.

"It's going to be sunny today," She said as Edward opened the door.

"At least, for most of the morning," she continued.

Edward nodded silently.

"Where is everybody? It's been very quiet since I came home," Edward said.

"Hunting," Alice replied. "I told them that you weren't up for it today, but that we would join them tomorrow...although, I guess you won't be..." she said, her eyes boring into his.

"I need you to stay away from Bella," Edward abruptly said.

Alice stared at Edward with a mixture of confusion and anger on her face.

"She's my friend, Edward," Alice said.

"It's better this way, Alice," Edward responded. "If I know Bella, she's going to try to cling to whatever she can to take the pain away. I just...I want her to forget that I ever existed."

**12:51 A.M.**

Bella's attempt at falling asleep was futile. All she could think about was Edward. How could she have pushed him so far? She knew better. She was berating herself over and over again when she heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, and realized Charlie was home. Bella quickly rolled over and threw the covers over her head in an attempt to look like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She knew Charlie would have a heart attack if he found out that she and Edward had been alone together. Her bedroom door slowly creaked open and then closed. Bella gave a sigh of relief as she heard Charlie's footsteps gradually fading away down the hallway towards his bedroom.

**6:02 A.M.**

Bella woke to a ray of sunlight making a feeble attempt to shine through her window. She had spent a majority of the night tossing and turning. She hated nights like that. She walked over to her window and looked out. Charlie's cruiser was already gone.

"No rest for the weary," Bella mumbled as she made her way to the bathroom.

She turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the hot water soothe her tired body. When she was finished, she made her way back to her bedroom. The sunlight was more dominant now, enveloping her room in its incandescence. She sighed. Edward wouldn't be at school today. A part of her was glad that she wouldn't have to face him after what had happened the night before, yet she didn't want there to be any awkwardness between them.

Forty-five minutes later, she was in her truck and on her way to school. She hoped that the sunny sky meant that there were good things to come.

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**You know what to do!**


	5. What's Been Lost

**Author's Note:**** I'm baaaaack! So sorry the update took a long time. Schoolwork sucks my very soul from me. **

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book Twilight/New Moon. The****original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

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Bella was in a daze throughout the morning, barely paying attention to what her teachers were lecturing about.

She was anxious to see Edward. She had to make sure that things were okay between them. The way he left

things last night was so... not like Edward.

_Time. _

That's what he needed, Bella decided. Time to relax. Yes, everything would be fine given enough time.

The last school bell of the day buzzed, and Bella nearly jumped out of her chair. She gathered her belongings

and walked vigorously to her truck. She groaned out loud when she felt droplets of rain fall on her face. She

jumped in her truck and headed home, cursing the weather the entire time.

When she pulled into the driveway, she was both thrilled and nervous to see Edward's silver Volvo parked on

the side of the street. She quickly ran her fingers through her damp hair in vain. She jumped out of the truck,

narrowly missing her head on the car's frame, and trekked up the slippery driveway.

The rain was pouring down now, and she figured Edward was inside waiting for her. She unlocked the front

door and saw him sitting at the kitchen table. He stood up quickly when she came in.

"I'm not staying," he said.

"Hello, to you too," she replied impassively.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, leaning against the table.

She threw her bag on the floor and took off her jacket.

"How are you?" He asked, in a cold tone, avoiding her eyes.

Bella didn't like this one bit. She had never seen Edward like this before. He was tense and his questions

seemed as if they'd been rehearsed. They stood at opposite ends of the room for what seemed like hours.

"Is everything okay, Edward?" Bella finally spoke.

"No," he said in a perfunctory tone.

Bella's mouth went dry.

"I'm leaving." He finally said. "I'm leaving Forks."

Her heart hammered in her chest. _'Stupid heart. Shut up!'_ She thought, distracted for a brief second.

"Oh," was the only sound that came out of her mouth. It was more of an exhale than an actual sound.

"Edward, if this is about last night, I'm sorry. I told you, I knew better. It's my fault, not yours, " She cried,

finding her voice again.

"Bella, I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend anymore. The very thought of you and I-- It's ridiculous. It's

_laughable_." Edward hissed.

"Why are you saying these things?" Bella asked, helplessly.

"It's the truth," he said.

Tears began to well up behind her eyes. _'Don't you dare cry. Don't you dare,'_ her own voice in her head

threatened.

"You don't want me," she said as a statement rather than a question.

"No," Edward whispered. "I don't."

"Well, that changes things," She said ardently.

She was horrified by the things he had told her, yet there was a very powerful part of her that wanted to run into

his arms and crush her lips against his, forcing him to forget everything he'd just said to her.

Edward tried to look as though he didn't care one way or another, but it was so _very_ difficult. It took everything

he had in him not to try to comfort her and hold her. He didn't want to end his relationship with Bella this way.

The last thing he wanted was to see her in pain.

_A clean break_. He convinced himself. It was the only way his plan would work.

"Don't worry," he said. "Soon, you'll forget I even existed."

'_But I don't want to!'_ the same voice in her head yelled.

She nodded faintly. "If that's what you want," she murmured.

He walked past her hurriedly towards the front door.

"There is one thing I need you to do, though," he said turning around to face her, his hand on the doorknob.

"Anything," she whispered far too quickly than she should have.

He paused for a moment then looked at her with icy, emotionless eyes.

"Stay away from Alice and the rest of my family," he said.

Bella stared at him, confused.

"There's no reason for you to bother them with your presence anymore," he told her.

_Bother_. The word echoed in her head. Had she been _bothering_ his family this whole time, but they were just

too polite to say anything?

Edward leaned close to Bella, and she thought she might languish from his proximity and mesmeric essence.

"You're not one of us," he whispered harshly in her ear.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to pretend that this was all a nightmare. When she opened them, he was gone.

Bella couldn't stop the tears from breaking free and cascading down her cheeks. She balled her hands into fists

and pounded once on the front door before letting herself fall into a heap of wreckage.

She didn't know how long she had been lying there on the floor. It could have been minutes or hours. When she

heard Charlie's car pull into the driveway, she quickly sat up and tried wiping the tears from her face. It was no

use.

"Bella! My God, what happened?" Charlie cried, rushing over to her. Bella looked up at him and shook her

head.

"Bella, what is it?" He shouted, shaking her shoulders.

"He's gone," she whispered.

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**Okay, please R & R. I'm going to try my best to update sooner than last time, but I have a big end of term project coming up, so hopefully everything will work out.**


	6. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**_**Slight **_**edit in Chapter 5**. **I realize that I have kinda made Edward not so likeable. But please, don't hate him! It wasn't my intention for the readers to hate him lol. Just remember, he left for "Bella's own good." :-)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon****. The**

**original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

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"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell." -Edna St.Vincent Millay 

**January.**

The sound of the wind beating mercilessly against the window pane made Bella open her eyes.

8:52 AM.

She never slept in on the weekends anymore. She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her face held absolutely no emotion. That was nothing new. What had she become? A sad, pathetic excuse for a human being.

She heard Charlie's heavy footsteps shuffling around in the kitchen downstairs and she knew it was time to put up the facade once again. The first month after Edward left her was grueling. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep without dreaming of him. She walked around like the living dead. It wasn't until Charlie threatened to send her to Jacksonville that she decided she needed to snap out of it, for Charlie's sake. She no longer cried during the day. Instead, she waited until nighttime.

One hundred-twenty-nine nights of endless crying for Edward.

Bella started her day the same way every morning. She washed away the pain from the previous night and greeted Charlie as cheerfully as she used to. He never questioned her sudden mood change. She figured that he didn't want to have to question it. She dressed quickly and went downstairs to eat breakfast.

"Morning, dad," she said while heading for the refrigerator.

"Hey, Bells," Charlie replied between mouthfuls of food.

"How are you?" He asked.

He always asked her this in the same leery tone, as if he was waiting for her to breakdown once again.

"I'm good." She smiled. Inside, her heart ached.

"I actually was wondering if you could give me directions to Billy's house. I haven't seen Jacob in ages," she told him.

Charlie grinned from ear to ear. "That's a great idea, Bella," he said.

The drive to the Black's house was surprisingly soothing to Bella, even with the gusting winds and threatening rain clouds. When she arrived at the house, she saw the garage was open. She got out of her car and made her way up to the garage where she found Jacob sitting in the driver's seat of a car, mimicking the sounds of a speeding car. Bella almost laughed out loud. The first time she'd done so in months, she realized.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she said, startling Jacob.

"Bella!" He blurted out in both surprise and embarrassment.

He hopped out of the car and embraced Bella in a hug. She blushed at his enthusiasm but smiled and hugged him back, nonetheless.

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining." He flashed her a wide grin.

"Well, I came looking for a very good friend of mine, but he can't possibly be you. You're too grown up," Bella said, playfully punching his arm.

Jacob's eyes sparkled with self-satisfaction.

Bella felt like she was laughing and smiling for the first time ever in her life. It wasn't even a charade. It was real. She had forgotten how much she truly enjoyed being around Jacob.

"So what have you been up to?" She asked.

He took her by the hand and led her to his latest project.

"It's an old Rabbit. A_ classic_," he emphasized.

"It's a beauty," Bella said, running her hand over the hood of the Volkswagen.

"I'm almost done with it," Jacob said, with admiration in his voice.

"Well, when you finish it, you better give me a ride," Bella winked.

"Yes, ma'am," Jacob said.

Later that night, as Bella climbed under the covers in her bed, she smiled faintly to herself. It had really been an enjoyable day. She sighed and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the usual torrential downpour of torture and heartbreak she was forced to succumb to every night.

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**It really motivates me to put up chapters more quickly when I get those lovely reviews! ;-)**


	7. The Ghost of You and Me

**Author's Note:**** Please forgive me for not updating in a loooooooong time. I'm taking summer courses and they're exhausting. :(**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon****. The ****original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

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"Bella," a voice was all too familiar to he whispered. That silvery, musical voice that she would know

anywhere; the one that haunted her. Bella's eyes shot open, and she was greeted with the sight of the man

who had been etched into her heart forever.

"Edward!" she whispered in astonishment.

He nodded softly and brought a cool hand to her face. She closed her eyes and savored the touch that she

had been deprived of– no, _craved_– for months. Slowly, he traced the contour of her face. Each gentle stroke

of his fingers caused her heart to ache, and forced her to remember everything about him that she had tried to

forget.

"Edward. I missed you so much. I-" she began, but was silenced by his cool finger on her lips.

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head; the pained expression on his face proved to her that he had

missed her just as much. It was all she needed. He brought his face down to hers and brushed his lips lightly

against her hair, then to her nose, and finally to her lips where he kissed her deeply. She exhaled slowly and

kissed him back as she brought her hands up to rest on his stone chest. Her heart began to race and she

suddenly felt light-headed. She wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer to her.

Edward abruptly untangled himself from her and pushed her shoulders gently away from him.

"I have to go now," he whispered.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he was already gone.

Bella forced her eyes open. Her cheeks were wet with tears she didn't even realize she had cried. It had

been four months since Edward left her, and yet, every night she had the same dream about him. Tonight was

no exception. The image of him, his scent, and the feel of his caress was so real to her that it made it that

much harder for her to ever forget he existed, like he had wished for her to do.

She closed her eyes again and fell back asleep, wondering if it was possible for her to ever be able to exist in

a world that Edward was no longer a part of.

* * *

Edward gazed pensively at the picturesque sight before him. The incandescence of the Alaskan Mountain

Range freshly sprinkled with snow was breathtaking. He laughed bitterly at the irony of the situation he was

in. He had come to Alaska over a year ago because he wanted to get away from Bella. Now, he had come

back because he wanted to be with her too much. The wind whipped around him fiercely, while a light snow

began to fall. Edward barely noticed.

He didn't know what he had gotten himself into when he made the decision to involve Bella in his...life. He

never imagined that he would fall for her, and in doing so, summon desires buried deep within him that he

never knew could surface.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Bella. He wanted to more than he should. But rather, he was afraid

of being with her. He had once told her that he could crush her skull by accident when actually meaning to

brush her hair away from her face. He didn't even want to think about what he could do to her in a moment

of passion; a moment of absolute weakness for him when he wasn't fully coherent or in control of his every

move. What scared him the most was the fear of not being capable of possessing the self-control he felt he

needed.

Being in seclusion forever was not an option for Edward. He missed Bella every single second of every

single day. He couldn't be without Bella and his family forever. He often contemplated going back to Forks

without Bella knowing. He thought that maybe he could be with his family again and also watch over Bella to

make sure she was safe.

Deep down Edward knew that it was impossible for it to be that simple. He could never be so near to her

without physically being with her. He didn't know if it was possible for him to exist in a world without Bella.

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**You know what to do!**


	8. Broken Promises

**A/N:**** I've had the worst case of writer's block. But, after some musical therapy, I feel like my creative juices have started flowing again. :)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse****. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

Alice paced anxiously around her bedroom, contemplating on whether or not she should tell Bella about 

her vision. She knew it was going to happen for sure, but she was afraid to tell Bella because she wasn't sure

how she would react.

What if Edward didn't want Bella to know?

Alice shook her head. Surely, Edward already assumed that Alice would see and would want to tell Bella.

But then again, she wasn't supposed to have any contact whatsoever with Bella. As much as she hated to,

she'd promised Edward.

Alice stopped pacing and made up her mind.

"Alice?" Jasper appeared in her doorway suddenly.

"I need to go talk to Bella," Alice answered his question before he asked it.

"Is she okay? Is anything wrong?" Jasper asked, alarmed.

"No, no. Everything is fine...I just...I haven't talked to her in nearly four months, Jasper, at the request of our

brother. It's agony for me to have to see her at school and not be able to..." She trailed off.

"To what?" Jasper asked.

"To not be able to do anything to help her," Alice sighed.

Jasper took Alice in his arms and held her close to him.

"I think Edward is having second thoughts about staying in Alaska," she whispered.

"What did you see? Is he coming back?" Jasper asked, frenziedly.

"No, it wasn't a vision," Alice said quickly.

"Oh..." Jasper's face fell.

Alice didn't want to tell Jasper the whole truth. Not now, at least. She knew his rational side would come

out and try to make sense of possible scenarios or consequences, and Alice didn't have time for that just

now.

"I just meant that no matter how hard he may try, Edward will never be able to be alone forever," she said.

It wasn't exactly _lying._

"I need to go see her," she said finally.

"You promised Edward," Jasper reminded her dismally. "We all did."

Alice nodded silently.

"She's broken, Jasper. If you ever left me..." she whispered, not intending to finish her sentence, knowing that

Jasper would wholeheartedly understand what she was thinking.

Jasper kissed Alice in understanding.

"Then do what you need to do," he advised.

* * *

Bella adjusted herself more comfortably on the sofa with her worn copy of _Wuthering Heights_ held in her 

hand. She read for a little while, then thought that she might take a drive down to La Push to visit Jacob. She

had already finished her homework and decided she could use some company other than Catherine and

Heathcliff.

She checked the clock.

4:34 PM.

She put the book on the table and grabbed her jacket and car keys.

The doorbell rang.

"One second," Bella called from the kitchen.

She scribbled a quick note for Charlie that she'd be back in a few hours, and that there was left-over steak in

the fridge for dinner in case he came home early.

The doorbell rang twice in a row impatiently.

"Ugh! I'm coming!" Bella yelled jogging to the door. She yanked it open and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

'Alice!' Bella wanted to scream and hug her, but she tried to act like it wasn't terribly exciting to see the

tiny brunette standing in front of her. As far as Bella was concerned, Alice had abandoned her just like

Edward. She never once tried to talk to her or acknowledge her existence at school no matter how hard

Bella tried to talk to her.

"Hello," Bella said coolly.

"Hello, Bella," Alice said.

"How have you been?" Alice asked warily.

"Peachy," Bella answered sarcastically.

Alice dropped her gaze.

"I wanted to...please don't...I promised..." Alice began, struggling to find the right way to apologize to Bella.

"Isn't this against the rules?" Bella asked, motioning one finger back and forth between her and Alice, her

tone as icy as Alice's skin.

"I don't care what Edw..."

Bella grimaced.

"...what anyone thinks," Alice said quietly.

"Well, the sudden change of heart might have been a bit helpful four months ago," Bella murmured.

"Bella, please," Alice pleaded.

"You have every right to be angry with me, Bella. If I were in your situation, _I _would be furious with me. I...I

didn't know what to say..." Alice's voice cracked with emotion.

Bella sighed. She didn't want to be angry with Alice.

They stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing quite what to say.

"Well, is that all? Because I'm on my way to visit Jacob Black and I want to get to La Push before it gets too

late," Bella said at last, her tone kinder.

She stared at Alice's beautiful face and thought that there might be something more that she wanted to tell

her, but Alice turned away.

"You should get going, then," She finally said. "It's nearly 5:00."

Bella nodded and smiled weakly, closing the door behind her and locking it.

Alice remained like a statue, fixed to the same spot on the porch.

"Well," Bella began awkwardly, "'bye." She walked down the pathway and a minute later, her old truck

groaned to life.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, but she knew Bella couldn't hear her over the roar of the truck.

"Edward's coming home," she said, as Bella pulled out of the driveway and drove out of sight.

* * *

**Please read and review!!! Pretty please. :)**


	9. Rescued

**A/N:**** Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, to those of you who took the time to read and write a review. It means so much to me that people are showing their appreciation of the story. If I feel like people aren't interested anymore, I may decide to can it. Soooooo...here's a nice looooooooooooong chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse****. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

"You're mad," Jacob accused Bella while handing her a soda and sitting down in the 

driver's side of his nearly finished Volkswagon next to Bella, who was seated comfortably in the

passenger side.

Bella sighed and took the soda.

"No, not mad. Just...confused, I guess," she said shaking her head.

"About what?" Jacob asked taking a large gulp of his drink.

"Alice Cullen came to talk to me before I came," Bella said.

Jacob stayed silent. The name triggered an unfamiliar hot rage in him.

"I don't really know why. I mean, she kind of sort of apologized, I guess, but I don't know. I got the feeling

that she was keeping something from me," Bella muttered.

"Like what?" Jacob asked, his tone slightly guarded.

"I don't know. Maybe something...about..."

"Edward," Jacob said flatly.

Bella winced slightly as the hole in her heart throbbed at the mention of his name.

"Sometimes people keep secrets from the people they...care about. Not because they want to hurt them, but

because they're afraid," Jacob's tone suddenly changed to understanding.

Bella turned to Jacob, slightly confused. Why on earth would he be defending Alice's actions?

"I just hope everything is okay," Bella averted her eyes from Jacob so as not to see his reaction.

"I didn't see or speak to you for nearly 4 months, Bella," Jacob said after several minutes of silence.

"Because of what he did to you. You know that Charlie told Billy everything right?"

Bella groaned.

"It's not like that, Bella. They weren't like gossiping old ladies or anything. Charlie was just really scared. So

was I," Jacob said quietly.

"It's not right, you know? To be so disconnected from everything and everyone. And then to care what

happens to him, after he told you he didn't want you anymore..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to keep her mind from going back to that fateful day. She couldn't

bring herself to argue with Jacob because she knew he was right.

Bella was forced to relive the memories that had so intricately burned themselves into her, scorching her very

flesh.

Her efforts to keep the memory caged were for nothing. It broke free, summoning tears with it as it flew to

the front of her mind, clear as day.

'_I can't pretend anymore,'_ Edward's velvet voice had chided.

She had trained herself so well, or so she thought, to not let herself breakdown in front of anyone; it was

something she did in private, where she could muffle her cries of agony with her pillow, and no one would

ever know.

"Bella?" Jacob asked softly.

She tried wiping the tears furiously from her face, but they were freely cascading down her cheeks now, too

powerful for her to fight.

"Hey, it's okay," He said, reaching over and wrapping his arms around her.

"I shouldn't have said those things, I didn't realize you were still...I'm sorry," he said stroking her hair.

"No, I'm sorry," she choked between sobs.

"I don't know what happened to me," she whispered against Jacob's neck.

His body shivered involuntarily from her proximity.

"When Edward left," she forced herself to speak his name, "he might as well have taken my soul with him.

Everyday he's been gone, I've felt like I've been sleeping with my eyes open," she said, finally gaining control

over her voice and tears.

Jacob clenched his jaw in anger.

"And this is love," He said, barely audible, through gritted teeth.

"It will get better, I promise," he assured her.

Bella pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"So far it has," she said.

"Everyday it gets easier, because of you. Thank you for rescuing me. For making me feel human again."

He blushed slightly and took her hand in his, and kissed it.

They stayed silent for a few moments.

"I like this," Bella said.

"What?" Jacob asked, startled when she interrupted his thoughts.

"You and me just hanging out in your car, being two normal teenagers," she said as she tilted her head back

against the seat, and closed her eyes to the setting sun.

Jacob stiffened and swallowed hard at the word.

'_Normal,'_ he thought to himself. '_You have no idea how true I wish that was, Bella.'_

"I like it too," he said at last.

* * *

"Alice, you're not telling me something," Jasper told her when they were in the privacy of her room again. 

"Edward is coming home," she said abruptly.

"I had a vision this morning. I'm so sorry that I lied and didn't tell you."

Jasper shook his head to dismiss her unnecessary apology.

"When?" he asked.

"I can't be certain," she scrunched her eyebrows together in frustration.

"It could be this week or next month," Alice said bringing her hand to her temple to curb the throb of mental

exhaustion and uncertainty.

Jasper turned to her suddenly.

"You went to tell Bella," he said, his voice thick with disapproval.

Alice closed her eyes and sighed.

"What if he's coming back for her?" Alice said, trying to justify her decision to Jasper.

"And what if he's not?" Jasper retorted.

"It's his life, Alice. We can't go meddling in his affairs."

"I thought you'd say that," Alice said, smiling softly, "and that's why I couldn't tell her. Besides, one thing I

_am _certain of is that I'm one of the last people in the world she wants to talk to right now."

Jasper took one of her hands in his and kissed it.

"Just give her time," he said.

Alice nodded.

"It's the right thing to do. She'll see that eventually," he assured her.

* * *

January melted into February and now, spring danced delicately into March, gently kissing all living things 

with its incandescence. Spring Break was just one week away. Though it had once seemed impossible to

Bella before, time did pass. Even though each tick of the clock brought her farther and farther away from

Edward.

With Jacob there to quell the tide of loneliness and hopelessness, she didn't feel so numb. She

hadn't cried herself to sleep in weeks, and the hole in her heart seemed to be trying to mend itself, though

achingly so. Jacob was her own personal sun; the only thing keeping her anchored to reality, and she was

more grateful to him for that than anything else.

* * *

Alice was casually flipping through a fashion magazine when Jasper walked in her room. Dawn was still 

hours away.

"The others have already left. Emmett was a bit...impatient," he said smiling.

"So what's it going to be this time? Bears? We haven't had bears in a while and I've had a terrible craving

lately," he asked.

Alice shook her head, laughing quietly.

"Mountain Lions. There's been a bit of a problem with overpopulation and some attacks on humans in the

past few weeks," she said.

Jasper scrunched his face in dislike.

"I'm _so_ sorry," she added sarcastically.

"That's quite alright," he said slyly as he pounced lithely onto the couch next to her.

"Maybe I'll just stay here and nibble on you instead," he growled softly.

"You wouldn't," she teased.

"Oh, wouldn't I," he said as he ran his nose along her neck and snapped his teeth at her playfully.

She giggled and growled back at him.

"Please, don't let me interrupt."

Alice and Jasper looked up in surprise to see Edward leaning casually against the doorframe of Alice's

bedroom.

* * *

**Please read and review:)**


	10. I Wasn't Prepared

**A/N:**** Once again, thank you to everybody who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse. ****The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

"Edward," Alice smiled as she walked up to him and hugged him. 

"Welcome home," Jasper said, patting Edward's shoulder as he walked out of the room.

"It's good to be back," Edward said looking knowingly into Alice's eyes.

Alice averted her gaze quickly.

"I'm so sorry I had to involve you in this, Alice," Edward said.

"You're close with Bella and I had no right to cut her out of your life. I only hope that you can understand

why I had to do it..." his voice trailed.

"Edward," Alice began.

"I don't know if you fully realize the...the ..._damage_ you caused when you left," she said, searching for the

right word to describe the state of things.

"Not just to Bella, but to everyone she loves," Alice continued.

Edward sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands.

"I know," he whispered.

"I tried so hard to make myself forget she ever existed, but how could I? She is and always will be the reason

for_ my_ existence."

They both sat in silence for a moment.

"Thank you for not telling her that I was coming home," he said.

"I know how difficult it must have been for you, and I will be eternally grateful to you for that."

"Yes, it was difficult," Alice agreed, "but it wasn't my place to tell her," she said.

Jasper knocked softly on the door and came in the bedroom.

"Alice, we should join the rest of the family soon," he said.

"Edward, will you come with us?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I've had quite enough to sustain me for a few more days. I'll stay here and wait for everyone

to return," Edward decided.

After Alice and Jasper had gone, Edward sat down on the bench in front of the grand piano. He ran his long,

graceful fingers along the keys. He closed his eyes and began to play a very soothing song that he knew by

heart. The song that could bring him closer to Bella, if only for this one moment.

He straightened suddenly and looked at the clock.

**1:32 AM.**

Edward was out the door and seated in his Volvo in a nano-second. He pulled out of the driveway and drove

for a few minutes, then stopped the car. From a distance, he could see the house, and decided to park his car

far out of sight. He stalked quietly around the shrubbery and hoped that the unusually warmer weather would

work in his favor tonight.

It did.

The window to Bella's bedroom was opened just enough for him to get through.

Edward scaled the side of the house agilely, and looked inside to make sure she was asleep before

climbing into her bedroom.

He stood in the dark corner of her room for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should stay or go.

He looked over at Bella, sound asleep and took an unnecessary breath of air. If his heart was capable

of beating, it would surely be straining to break free of his chest right now at the sight of her.

Soundlessly, he walked over to the chair that he had rocked her to sleep in so many nights before, and sat

down.

Folding his hands in his lap, he watched her sleep until dawn's pink fingers streaked faintly across the

sky. He walked over to where she lay and hovered near her cheek hesitantly, breathing softly. He turned his

head away and sauntered over to the window. With one last glance at Bella, he climbed out of sight.

Bella stirred faintly and shivered from the sudden icy breeze that had lapped at her ear. Fumbling around

clumsily in the lavender-gray dimness of her bedroom, she walked over to her window and closed it shut.

* * *

The smell of something burning and Charlie cursing loudly downstairs forced Bella out of bed 

ridiculously early for a Saturday morning.

"Everything okay, dad?" she asked.

"Hey, Bells," he said half-heartedly, throwing a blackened piece of something unrecognizable in the garbage can.

"I never could get the hang of cooking pancakes," he said with a laugh.

"You had the flame on too high," Bella pointed out, turning the knob on the stove to the off position.

"You don't want to nuke the poor pancakes," she said sarcastically.

Charlie nodded in agreement.

She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table.

"So, spring break," Charlie said.

"You must be excited. It looks like the weather is going to be pretty gorgeous," Charlie motioned to the

shaft of sunlight pouring through the window in their kitchen.

"Yeah," Bella agreed.

"So, a couple of guys down at the station were talking about maybe taking a fishing trip down to Silver

Lake this whole week since the weather's been so nice," Charlie said casually.

"I invited Billy Black and he seems to be real excited about it."

"Oh," Bella said thoughtfully.

"But, uh, if you need me to stay here with you, I will,"Charlie tried to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"No, dad. Please go. I'll be fine. Really," Bella assured him.

"You sure?" Charlie asked excited.

"Yeah. I'll probably hang out with Jake most of the time anyway," Bella said.

Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"...and Jess and do some girly stuff. It'll be great," Bella finished quickly.

Little did Charlie know that she hadn't spoken to Jessica Stanley for months, but she knew that he didn't

want her to ignore her other friends.

"So when are you leaving?" Bella asked, clearing her throat uncomfortably.

"Pretty early tomorrow morning. Probably before sunrise. It's a pretty long drive and we want to get a

good spot," he said.

Charlie began to go on about how much fish he was hoping to catch and the differences between types of

bass.

Bella nodded and threw in an "Oh," or "wow," every now and then to pretend she was really interested in

Charlie's conversation.

She always hated fishing.

* * *

The next morning, Bella lay in bed relishing the fact that she had the house to herself for a whole week.

Since Charlie was already gone, she decided to go visit Jacob.

She dialed his phone number and waited impatiently as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Jacob answered in a barely audible voice.

"Jake? Are you alright?" Bella asked.

"Bella?" He asked deliriously.

"Yeah," she said confused, "you sound terrible, Jake. Are you sick?"

"Yes. I mean, no," he said quickly.

"Can I do anything? Do you need me to come over?" She asked.

"No!" Jake yelled.

Bella jumped at the sudden change in his tone.

"Please, Bella. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Don't come over here okay?" He demanded hastily, and hung up the

phone.

Bella held the phone in her hand, her mouth open in dismay.

What was going on with Jacob?

* * *

**Please read and review! There's some exciting stuff to come so stay tuned!**


	11. Nothing is Ever What it Seems

**AN:**** I've decided to not go into detail about Jacob being a werewolf. In my version, he won't officially ascend until he's 18. Enjoy this nice long chapter!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/NewMoon/Eclipse. ****The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

**Monday morning, 2:12 AM.**

Edward sat in the rocking chair across from Bella's bed for the second night in a row, silently watching her

sleep.

'What am I doing?' he thought to himself.

"Jake," she mumbled softly in her sleep.

"My Jacob."

Edward stiffened.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said.

Edward glanced out of her bedroom window and saw that dawn's approach meant it was time for him to

leave again.

With a mournful gaze in her direction, he retreated back through the open window.

* * *

Later that day, Bella kept herself busy cleaning the house and doing some grocery shopping. She was just

about to sit down and watch a movie when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"I have a surprise for you," Jacob's voice spoke on the other end of the line.

"What?" Bella asked in agitation and confusion.

He sounded perfectly fine, like he had never snapped at her so vehemently on the phone the day before.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Bella scoffed.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe I'm a little hurt at the way you bit my head off yesterday when I called you," she

reminded him.

"Oh, that," he said gingerly.

"I'm sorry Bella. I acted like a jerk. It was just one of those days. Guys have them too," he said.

Bella was still suspicious.

"Anyway, I'd like you to come outside," he said eagerly.

"That is, if you forgive me?" he added hopefully.

Bella rolled her eyes and walked out the front door, wiping away the tiny droplets of rain that fell on her face.

'So much for the nice weather,' she thought bitterly.

Jacob was leaning against the side of the Volkswagen, grinning from ear to ear.

Bella couldn't hold a grudge against him anymore when she saw the way his triumphant smile lit up his entire face.

"Congratulations. It's beautiful," she said, clicking off the phone.

He opened the passenger door for her with an impish smile.

"A ride for the lady, as promised," he said, holding out his hand for her.

She smiled and got into the car, while Jacob hopped around to the driver's side.

"I'm still working out some of the kinks," he told her as he sat down in the seat.

"You wouldn't believe how many times I stalled before I got here."

He turned the key in the ignition and the car sputtered a few times and died.

Bella stopped his hand from turning the key in the ignition a second time.

"Let's not push it," she said.

"I don't believe this," he said.

"Billy's gonna kill me. I wasn't supposed to take the car out while he's gone," Jacob ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Look, it's getting late, why don't you stay here tonight and try to get the car working tomorrow, okay?"

Bella said.

"I don't want to have to worry about you making it home in one piece."

"Are you sure that's alright?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah. Besides, I could use the company," she replied.

"Great!" he said trying to hide his excitement.

* * *

"I'll sleep on the couch. I hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor," Bella said, while throwing heaps of

blankets and pillows down on the floor of the living room.

"No problem," Jacob said, trying to get the fireplace going.

She sat down on the nest of blankets and flipped around on TV to find something to watch, and settled on an

old horror movie.

Jacob finally got a fire going and sat down next to Bella.

"You know, when I was younger," Bella started, "out of all the infamous monsters, like Dracula and

Frankenstein, the Wolf-Man always terrified me the most," she laughed.

"I have no idea why though. I mean, it wasn't his fault that he became a monster," Bella said.

Jacob's heart raced.

"Jake?" She asked.

"Hmm," he answered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

"Actually, I'm not fine," he began.

"Sometimes..."

"What?" Bella asked, concerned.

"Sometimes, I worry about you and me," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?" She answered.

"You're such an amazing person and I'm so glad that we've become friends, but..." he trailed.

"But?" Bella said eagerly.

"There's something about me that you don't know, Bella, and I'm afraid of what would happen with us if you

knew the truth about me," Jacob said, his eyes clouded with anxiety.

"Whatever it is Jake, you can tell me," Bella assured him.

"No, that's the thing! I _want_ to, Bella, but I _can't_. I'm not allowed to," He said adamantly.

"But, if you figured it out for yourself, I wouldn't be breaking any rules," he said thoughtfully.

Bella stared at him, perplexed.

Jacob sighed.

"Remember when we first met at the beach that day? I told you about the Quileute legends?"

Bella nodded.

"Of course I remember."

"Well, they're not really legends. They're more like...our people's history, our origins," Jacob explained.

"I'm not following, Jake," Bella shook her head, slightly annoyed that he wouldn't just come out and say what

he wanted to.

"Just try to remember, Bella!" He said, scooting closer to her.

"Until I told you the truth about...about the _vampires_, did you honestly not know what they were? What _he_ was?" Jacob asked sternly.

"How did you-" she began, astonished that Jacob knew the Cullens' secret.

"Look, I know I was skeptical before, but the stories are true. All of them! The Elders weren't off their

rockers after all!" he exclaimed.

The color drained from Bella's face, and she felt her mouth go dry.

"'The cold ones only have one natural enemy...'" Bella recited part of the legend Jacob had told her.

Jacob nodded his head.

"The werewolf," Bella whispered.

Jacob held his breath, waiting for her reaction.

"You're a werewolf?!" She asked louder now.

"Ssshhh!" Jacob hissed.

"Technically, not until I turn eighteen," he added quietly.

Bella's mouth hung open in shock and bewilderment.

The silence that followed seemed to last an eternity.

"Please say something!" Jacob demanded.

"What's _wrong_ with me?" She said putting her face in her hands.

"What?" Jacob asked surprised.

"What is so screwed up about me that I can only relate to people who aren't...people!" she cried.

"Bella," Jacob said, cautiously putting an arm around her.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried into his shoulder.

"I tell you I'm a werewolf and I end up comforting you," he said with a small laugh.

"Jake, I don't care about that. You're my friend and you always will be no matter what," she assured him.

Jacob let out a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel?" She asked him when she was finally calm.

"I feel like me," he said.

"Some small changes have begun. I'm getting taller and my body temperature is getting hotter everyday," he explained.

"There are some days though, that are harder than others. I'll wake up and I won't be able to smell a

damn thing no matter how close I hold it to my nose. Then, other days, I can smell things miles away, or hear

a car coming down the road ten minutes before it even passes my house. It can become like sensory overload

and it makes me sick more than anything. That's why I was such a jerk to you on the phone yesterday. I was

having one of those days and I didn't want you to come over because I was afraid you would find out," he

said.

Bella's eyes were wide with wonderment as she listened to Jacob.

"You won't...hurt anybody, will you?" Bella asked.

"Not unless we have to," he replied.

"We've been learning how to track certain scents, for our protection," he stated.

"The Cullens," Bella guessed from what his tone implied.

"It's nothing personal. It's just to make sure the treaty is always honored."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.

Bella thought for a moment and the meadow that Edward had taken her to what seemed like ages ago,

suddenly flashed to her mind. She wondered if it was still there or if, like him, it only existed in her dreams.

"Well, there's this place that I found a while ago while I was...hiking. It's really beautiful. If the weather is

nice, we should go try to find it," she suggested, then regretted it instantly.

The meadow had been her and Edward's secret alone.

"It's a date," Jacob said.

Bella smiled feebly and gazed at the flames dancing lightly in the fireplace.

His gaze turned serious.

"You look beautiful in the firelight," he whispered softly to her.

She swallowed hard.

"Your skin is glowing," he said as he brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek, and turned her face gently

towards his.

Holding her face in his hands, he brought his face closer to hers until they were inches apart.

She felt his warm breath on her mouth and her hands began to shake.

He inched his lips closer to hers, and she stopped him suddenly.

"Jake," she whispered as she pulled his hands away from her face.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning away shamefaced.

"Goodnight," he said abruptly, lying down in the blankets and forcing his eyes closed.

* * *

Bella stayed awake for a couple of hours after Jake went to bed, and wondered if she had given him the

wrong impression when she asked him to stay the night.

She felt her eyelids getting heavy, and didn't realize that sleep had overtaken her until she woke up the next

morning to an infomercial on the television and the muted light of an overcast morning.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she gasped as she discovered she was tangled with Jacob's body.

His arm was draped over her stomach lightly, and she wasn't sure how to untangle herself from him

discreetly. He was really going to get the wrong impression if he woke up and saw their compromising

position.

She tried sliding from underneath his arm, but the sensation of his warm hand brushing against the exposed

skin of her stomach gave her chills.

She lay there for a moment panicking, when Jacob mumbled something incoherent and rolled onto his back,

freeing her from his grip.

Bella exhaled slowly and sat up.

She couldn't help but stare at Jacob.

His face was so innocent, so peaceful, that she couldn't imagine this beautiful boy ever turning into

something that had once given her nightmares when she was a child.

She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, and against her better judgement, she lay her ear gently

against his chest and listened to the musical beat of his heart.

With her index finger, she gently stroked the silky, russet skin of his cheek, then lightly touched his lips.

She wondered what would have happened if she had let those lips kiss hers the night before.

Pushing the thoughts from her head, she sat up and quietly moved to the couch and pretended to be asleep.

Jacob stirred on the ground below and sat up.

"Bella," he whispered.

Bella overexaggerated the process of waking up.

"Morning," she said, faking a yawn.

"Hi," Jacob answered.

"What time is it?" Bella asked.

"A little after nine, I think," Jacob said.

"Did you sleep okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. It was probably the best night of sleep I've had," he said.

Bella smiled.

"Well, I'm going to go shower and then I'll make us something to eat for breakfast," Bella said as she

walked upstairs.

Jacob nodded and heard the bathroom door shut upstairs.

He touched his hand tenderly to his chest where Bella's cheek had been, and smiled.

Bella scrubbed her hair furiously in the shower in an attempt to knock some sense into herself.

She didn't understand why she couldn't stop thinking about how it would feel to kiss Jacob Black.

* * *

**Reviews make me smile:D**


	12. Can This Be?

**A/N****: Sorry it took me so long to update! I kept re-writing until I could get this chapter just right. I apologize for the way the format of the story is. I don't know how to indent new paragraphs because everytime I try, it just reverts back to the way it was before I tried indenting. If anyone can help me out with how to fix it, I'll be very grateful! Thank you for all who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/NewMoon/Eclipse. ****The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

Bella rummaged through her closet hastily, trying to find something to wear. She finally settled on a royal blue v-neck and jeans. She had one hand wrapped around the sleeve of her jacket hanging in her closet, when she thought she should check the weather outside to see if she really needed to wear it. The sun had been playing hide-and-seek with the heavy gray clouds for the past half-hour. If there was one thing that Bella truly loved, it was the feel of the sun's rays on her bare skin; despite how feeble the sunlight was in Forks compared to how it scorched in Phoenix, she would take what she could get, which, sadly, wasn't much here. 

She opened her window and stuck her hand outside to test the temperature. There was a slight chill in the air, nothing that seemed too extreme to brave without a jacket, she decided. She pulled her hand away and the sight of Jacob outside caught her attention. He was fumbling with the engine of the Volkswagen, his raven-colored hair gently falling in curtains around his face, which bore a look of extreme frustration. He kept wiping the sweat from his temple and nose with the sleeve of his shirt, fully annoyed. Having had enough, he took off his shirt completely and tucked it in the back pocket of his jeans.

Bella couldn't help but admire Jacob's body. She appreciated the way his copper skin stretched tautly around the well-developed muscles of his chest and upper arms. Guiltily, she wondered what his bare skin would feel like against hers, not in the way that she had touched his face this morning, but how it would feel if it moved against hers. She felt her mouth go dry suddenly, and realized that she had stopped swallowing her saliva. Jacob swiftly turned his head in the direction of Bella's window and was alarmed to see her staring back at him. She quickly ducked her head down below the window sill, and felt her cheeks ignite with the hot flush of embarrassment at having been discovered.

Jacob laughed quietly to himself. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Bella within the last twenty-four hours, but he couldn't bring himself to complain. He had never felt this way about any other girl in his life before Bella, and to have her appear to begin to return his feelings after pushing him away for so long elated Jacob. He shut the hood of the car and hopped in the driver's side.

"Please, _please_," he coaxed.

The car rumbled deeply and sprang to life at his request.

"Thank you," he breathed.

He turned the car off and half-ran into the house, where he was met by the sight of Bella.

"All fixed," he said, flashing a smile and motioning toward the car.

"Great," she said quickly.

"Uh," he said, holding up his oil-covered hands.

"Oh, second door on your right," she said, realizing he needed to shower.

Bella hoped that the embarrassment had faded from her face.

* * *

The silence in Bella's truck between her and Jacob was overwhelming on the drive to the meadow. Neither of them quite knew what to say to each other about the events of the previous night. Every once in a while, Bella could feel Jacob stealing glances at her and she pretended that she didn't notice. Finally, they both spoke. 

"Jake-"

"I'm sorry-"

They said in unison.

Bella laughed nervously.

"Go ahead," Bella offered.

"I'm sorry about what I did last night," Jacob said quietly. "I shouldn't have been so forward," he finished.

"That's all right," Bella said uncomfortably.

"You were just relieved that I wasn't freaked out about you being a werewolf. I know you didn't really want to kiss me," she added.

It was silent for a moment, and she felt Jacob's eyes on her once again.

"What if I did?" He asked.

His boldness caught her off guard, and Bella was determined to keep her gaze glued to the road.

"We're friends, Jake," she said intently, though she felt like she wasn't just trying to convince him of the boundaries of their relationship anymore, but rather, herself as well.

"Okay," he said wryly.

"I'll behave from now on. I promise," he said with a tone that implied he saw right through her carefully constructed facade.

* * *

Bella stopped the truck at the edge of the woods in front of the trail that would lead them to the meadow. 

"So, where to?" Jacob asked.

"This way . . . I think," Bella answered.

They had been walking nearly an hour in almost complete silence, save for the occasional grunts of annoyance at the thick shrubbery that pulled at their clothing and exposed flesh.

One of Bella's shoelaces suddenly caught on a small gnarled tree branch and before she could comprehend her face making contact with the small collection of jagged rocks in front of her, Jacob's arms shot out and caught her around her waist.

His hands were like fire.

"Thanks," she gasped.

"Why do you do that?" He asked her.

"I don't fall on purpose. I'm just naturally clumsy," she explained.

"No, I mean, every time I touch you or go near you, your body tenses up automatically," he said.

Bella was taken aback. She never realized that she did that. She resolved that her body had become so accustomed to Edward and his boundaries that it was just an automatic response. Just like the way your knee jerks when you tap it with one of those little hammers.

Jacob, saw the look of confusion twist into one of realization on her face, and figured that it had to do with Edward.

"I get it," he said.

"Hmm?" Bella was pulled from her thoughts.

"Well, leech-, er, vampires have super strength, right?" He said. "I can't imagine that they'd have the most delicate touch to a human. Werewolves, on the other hand, get the super strengthwithout having to compromise their human tendencies, that is, when they're not in their werewolf form. My touch would be very delicate," he said with a hint of arrogance

Bella ignored him.

"How did it feel to kiss him?" Jacob asked unashamed.

"That's none of your business," she answered.

"I bet it would probably feel like kissing one of those rocks you almost smashed your face into back there," he said, and instantly regretted it.

"If you're going to continue being a jerk, then you can leave," she said acidly.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me," he said ruefully.

He truly was sorry and ashamed of himself. The truth was, he knew exactly what had gotten into him. The idea of Edward kissing Bella or doing anything else with her made his blood boil with jealousy.

"It's just that, you're so . . . fragile," he said.

Bella continued trudging through the ferns and moss-covered ground, letting Jacob babble to his heart's content.

He stopped her suddenly.

"I can only imagine that with somebody as breakable as you are, naturally, some things wouldn't be possible," he said.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"Bella, I can give you things that he can't. I can do things with you that he could never do. At least not without killing you," he said, his dark eyes penetrated directly into hers, and she understood exactly what he meant by that last part.

"Just give me the chance to," he pleaded.

The faint gurgle of water nearby jarred her thoughts.

"There it is," she said recognizing the familiar archway made of two vine-maples that marked the entrance to the meadow.

She walked ahead of Jacob, leaving him reeling.

'_It's still here,'_ she thought, amazed. She had half-expected it to exist only in her dreams as Edward did.

Edward.

Bella couldn't stop herself from thinking about him. How could she when this was the place where he had indirectly said he loved her for the first time?

Jacob followed her through the entrance.

"Wow, it's beautiful," he said.

The thin rays of sunshine that struggled to glow brightly made the fresh dew on the grass and flowers sparkle brilliantly.

Bella closed her eyes and inhaled deeply; the smell of fresh grass and wild flowers met her senses instantly.

"I love that smell," She whispered. "Can you smell it?"

"I wish I could," Jacob said regrettably. "Then again, it's probably a good thing that I can't smell much right now. Your scent normally drives me crazy," he confessed.

Bella's eyes flew open.

"I'm sorry?" She said.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," he said laughing. "It's a very nice scent."

Her cheeks began to grow warm.

"But I'm sure I'm not the only one who's told you that," he said quietly.

'_The difference is, I don't want to eat you,'_ he thought to himself smugly.

Bella found a small patch of sunlight across the meadow and sprawled out in it. She closed her eyes again and let the sunlight warm her eyelids.

The sun hid behind the clouds, permanently this time, and she opened her eyes annoyed and felt her heart drop.

Jacob was nowhere to be found.

"Jake?" She called out, rising to her feet.

No answer.

"Jake!" She yelled out louder now, her pulse racing with panic.

Suddenly, he sprang toward her head-on, knocking her off her feet. In one impossible, nonhuman fluid motion, he caught her again before she could hit the ground.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" She said, pounding her fists on his chest when he set her down again.

"Ouch! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said between laughs.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked.

"No, but-" she said.

"Did I _hurt_ you?" He asked again, trying to make his point clear.

"No," she said flatly.

"It seemed to me like you weren't really listening to me back there, so I had to do something to prove my point," he explained. "I bet you the bloodsucker could never do that without putting you in the hospital."

Bella glared at him.

"Congratulations, you proved your point," she said sarcastically.

"I'm not finished," he said, as he walked slowly toward her.

He put his hand on each of her shoulders and brought his body closer to hers.

She inhaled sharply as a means to protest his proximity, but he shook his head in disagreement.

He brought his hands up to her face and held it in his hands while he slowly turned her head to the side, exposing the side of her neck. He found the spot where her pulse was beating frantically and brought his burning mouth down to kiss her there.

The sensation made her vision go blurry and she couldn't help the way her body reacted to Jacob; to the way he touched her in ways she hadn't been touched in months. She began to feel dizzy, like everything around her was spinning while she stayed put.

She didn't try to resist him anymore. What would be the point? She couldn't pretend that she and Jacob were just friends anymore, because she knew all along that he was much more to her.

_So much more._

He pulled away from her a bit and saw that her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted.

"Could he do this?" He asked cautiously, as he took her hand in his and placed it on his heart, then placed his hand on her heart.

Bella felt her eyes begin to moisten as their hearts beat in unison. Jacob's simple gesture had touched her so deeply.

"I love you," he whispered as softly as the breeze that wafted through the trees and grass around them.

"Don't" she started.

Jacob's heart sank.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

Jacob's expression turned to one of bewilderment. He hadn't expected her to react this way.

He tried to read the expression in her eyes, but they were an enigma to him. Worried that she may change her mind, Jacob captured her mouth in his hungrily.

At first, Bella's arms remained stiff and limp at her sides, while her lips moved with his carefully. Then, she remembered that Jacob's body didn't feel like stone when it was pressed against hers. His lips weren't glass that could cut hers with the slightest wrong movement. She didn't have to be careful with him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with a fervor that she didn't know she possessed.

Jacob was inexperienced when it came to this, but passion took over and he felt that he knew exactly what to do. He lowered her to the ground and lay down on top of her carefully, his mouth never leaving hers.

Bella brought her fingers up to his hair and let them tangle in it for a moment, and urged his already impossibly close body even closer to hers. He let her catch her breath for a moment while he kissed along her neck and collar bone. She ran her hands all the way up his shirt and lifted it up over his head. Her heart was beating wildly as she clutched his strong, broad shoulders and ran her hands up and down the scorching skin of his back. She brought his mouth back down to hers and grazed her teeth along his bottom lip.

Jacob's hands found their way up her shirt to the skin at the small of her back, where they lingered desperately. The wind had picked up a bit and the air was beginning to grow chilled around them. Bella welcomed the intense heat of his body against hers, and succumbed to her long dormant passions.

"I've wanted this for so long," Jacob said between gasps of his uneven breathing.

Bella could tell just how much he wanted her when she unconsciously moved her hips against his and the sensation startled them both. He groaned into her mouth and she gasped at the unexpected feeling of desire that washed over her entire body.

She had his jeans halfway unbuttoned when she was suddenly jolted away from the moment.

"_And so the lion fell in love with the lamb."_

'_Stop it,'_ she scolded herself.

"_What a stupid lamb."_

"_What a sick masochistic lion." _

'_Stop it!'_ She protested again.

'_This isn't right. You know this isn't right,' _her own voice echoed in her head.

'_You're still in love with Edward. It won't be any easier to make him disappear.'_

* * *

**The Cullen House**

Alice walked down the stairs and stood, waiting for Edward to return. A few moments laterhe walked through the door.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Alice asked desperately

Edward looked at her sadly.

"To be with her again," he answered softly.

"She didn't notice you were there, it being daytime and all?" Alice asked, her eyebrows raised.

"She wasn't there," Edward began. "I smelled her scent mixed with Jacob Black's."

Alice sighed.

"They're in a forest, somewhere. I don't know which one," Alice said quietly. "That's all I saw."

Edward nodded once and walked slowly upstairs to his bedroom. Alice followed him, curious by the look of defiance on his face.

"What are you going to do?" She asked when they were in his room with the door closed.

"I'm going to read his mind," Edward answered. "If you don't agree with my decision, then I'll ask you to leave."

Alice stayed silent.

He sat motionlessly, with his eyes closed, in a trance-like state. Suddenly, his jaw clenched tightly and he let out a low menacing growl

"What is it?" Alice asked frantically. "Is it Bella? Is she in danger?"

"Give me a moment, please," Edward commanded through his gritted teeth, his nostrils flared in anger.

Alice could recall very few times in her life that she had been as frightened of Edward as she was now.

He opened his eyes, and she saw them clouded over with rage. She knew then that there was only one thing that could anger Edward to the point of madness after reading Jacob's thoughts. He got up quietly and walked out of his room, and down the steps quickly.

"Edward, wait!" Alice called when he was near the front door.

He turned toward her stiffly.

"You left her," she reminded him. "You wanted her to move on."

He turned toward the door and left without another word.

* * *

"Jake, wait" she said breathlessly pulling away from him, which wasn't easy considering how her body very much wanted to be with his. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, his face flushed.

"I can't do this. Not right now," she said, pulling her shirt back down.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked alarmed.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "That's the problem. You were doing everything _right_."

"But, we're not prepared," she said.

"You're right," he said, pulling his shirt back over his head.

Fat droplets began to fall from the canopy of trees near them. Bella dreaded the hike back to the truck and the drive home.

"Come here," Jacob said, sensing the anxiety in her eyes. He lifted her in his arms. "Close your eyes and hold on to me tightly."

Bella did as she was instructed. She barely wrapped her arms around his neck when she felt them flying through the woods, just like Edward had done when they came to the meadow for the first time.

'_Another benefit of being a werewolf,' _she realized.

Within minutes, they were back at the truck and Bella didn't feel the least bit nauseous as she had with Edward, maybe because Jacob was so warm and comforting.

Jacob, put Bella down, and suddenly sank to his knees on the ground, bent over in pain.

He clutched at his head and let out an agonizing cry.

"Jake! What's wrong?" Bella asked frantically.

He lay on his back, panting heavily.

"It's. Happening. Again," he spat out.

Bella understood now. He was having a "sensory-overload" moment where his wolf senses were trying to accommodate themselves within his still-human senses. She knelt down next to him and moved the hair that had clung by sweat to his forehead. A thin trickle of blood escaped from his nose and Bella nearly fainted from the sight.

"Your nose," she said dizzily as the strong scent of iron crept its way up her nostrils.

"It's okay," Jacob said. He wiped it away and breathed in a big gulp of air, and was grateful when the smell of damp earth, as well as Bella's unique smell that he had spoken of earlier, greeted him.

Bella helped him get to his feet and into the passenger side of her truck while she walked around to the driver's side and started the engine.

"Just try to rest until we get to my house," she said, guiltily grateful that they didn't have to endure another awkward silence after what had almost happened between them.

Jacob didn't try to resist, and drifted off to sleep.

Bella turned the truck into the driveway, just as a light rain began to fall. She hurried over to the passenger side and tried to wake Jacob up, but he was still too weak to walk by himself. She managed to get him to put his arm around her shoulder for support, though it wasn't easy considering Jacob's towering figure compared with her own petite frame.

Once they were in the house, Bella tried to figure out where to put him. She decided against the couch, since it was much too small for Jacob, and led him up the stairs to her bedroom. By the time she reached her room, she was so out of breath that she collapsed on the bed with Jacob.

She quickly got up and made her way to the bathroom to get a cold cloth for his forehead, when his hand suddenly shot out and grabbed hold of her wrist. She turned to him, alarmed, and his hand slid down to hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. He smiled faintly at her as she left the room.

It took a moment for Jacob to regain his awareness. His head still throbbed with a dull aching sensation. The worst of his episode was over, he realized thankfully. He lay on Bella's bed, breathing softly, and taking in the surroundings of the room, when his head suddenly snapped up guardedly at a fresh, strangely familiar, venomous smell.

He inhaled deeply, once, twice, just to be sure he was actually smelling what he thought he was.

It only took seconds for his mind to register and categorize the complexity of the scent.

First, vampire.

Second, one of the Cullens.

Third, Edward.

"Edward," he hissed.

He must have just left before they arrived. He sat upright, his chest heaving with anger. Edward must have been here before though, he realized. The air was thick with his scent, and it lingered on nearly every surface of Bella's bedroom.

'_Doesn't he know that Bella is with me now?'_ Jacob thought to himself.

Then, darker thoughts crept into Jacob's mind. He imagined Bella and himself together during the day, talking, laughing, holding hands. But at night, Edward waited for her in her room, in secret, and she went to him then, and forgot all about Jacob.

He suddenly felt hurt and betrayed by her.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Bella asked cautiously when she came back into the room, damp cloth in hand.

"I think you know the answer to that, Bella," Jacob said coolly. "How long did you think you could keep this up without me finding out? Did you think I was so stupidly in love with you that I never would?"

Jacob stood up and walked toward Bella in an imperious manner that made her step back against the wall to support herself.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, bewildered.

"Bella, please don't treat me like I'm stupid," Jacob said.

"Jake-" Bella began.

"Edward!" He exclaimed. "His scent is all over this room. It's _everywhere_," he spat.

Bella felt the color drain from her face, and suddenly her legs seemed to be unable to support her.

"What did you just say?" She whispered.

* * *

**Please read and review! I look forward to them.**


	13. The Words We Say

**A/N: So sorry. I didn't intend to go so long without updating, but things happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience and those of you who are still interested in the story!**

* * *

Bella's head began to buzz and all of her senses seemed to diminish one by one. Jacob's voice seemed very far away and garbled, 

like she was underwater straining to hear him. She couldn't seem to comprehend what Jacob had just revealed: _Edward is back_.

_Edward is back._

_Edward is back. _

She felt the emotions that she had tried so hard to bury deep within herself for the past six months come rushing back. They snaked

their way around her body and seemed to tighten themselves around her throat, nearly cutting off her air supply.

"Bella, listen to me!" Jacob's hands were suddenly gripping her shoulders and shaking her to bring her back to reality.

"Let me go," she said through clenched teeth, tearing his hands away from her body.

Jacob swallowed hard and took a deep breath, his jaw clenching while he struggled to calm himself down.

"Just tell me what's going on," he said.

"Nothing is going on," Bella muttered.

"Why won't you just tell me the truth?!" Jacob threw his hands in the air, exasperated by her unwillingness to confirm his suspicions.

There was no point in telling him that she didn't even know Edward had come back. He wouldn't believe her anyway, not with all of

the "evidence" all over her bedroom.

"So what, you nearly make love to me, then you come home and sleep with him too, is that it?" Jacob asked with unabashed disgust.

Bella's blood turned to ice in her veins, trickled down her spine. How could he say these things to her?

"You need to leave. Now," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, inwardly cursing himself.

"I mean it. Leave," she repeated, desperately trying to hide the quiver in her voice.

Sensing her sudden vulnerability, Jacob forced his anger to subside.

"Bella, please," he pleaded, "I'm sorry."

She looked away from him.

Jacob stood motionless for a long time, lost in an abyss of thought, when the ugly truth finally forced itself free of his internal prison:

He had lost.

As much as he had tried to deny it in the past, some part of him knew that he could never emerge victorious in the battle over Bella's

heart. As long as Edward existed, he would always win, no matter what. Bella would never allow herself to love anybody else the

way she loved Edward.

He realized then what he had to do.

"Do you love me?" He asked softly.

"What?" she asked, confused by his sudden personality flip.

He walked toward her, slowly closing the distance between them once again.

Bella's heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Jacob cupped her face in his hands and slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

"N–," she began to protest, but his lips silenced her as he kissed her softly, slowly, deliberately.

He pulled away slightly, and deeply breathed in the scent of her hair, as though he was taking enough of it to last him a lifetime.

"Do you love me?" He whispered again against her lips.

Unable to speak at that moment, Bella nodded her head softly.

Jacob let out a barely audible sigh.

Bella felt the hot tears begin to roll down her cheeks, but she soon realized they weren't hers.

"But it will never be me, will it?" Jacob asked, even though he knew already knew her answer.

Bella's legs crumpled under the enormous weight of her emotions, and she let her body slide down the wall, taking Jacob with her.

"If things were different," she started, "it would have been," she said, stroking his face, memorizing every detail by heart.

Jacob closed his eyes. He held her hands as they traced his face and kissed them desperately any chance he got. He understood what

she meant. He understood it perfectly.

They sat on the floor, clinging to one another for a long time, before Jacob stood abruptly. He held his hand out and helped

Bella to her feet. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her temple, and kissed her for the last time. He turned away and walked

toward the door.

"Jake," she suddenly called to him.

He turned around reluctantly.

"I'll be okay," he said.

Bella looked deep into his eyes, struggling to find a way to express her gratitude for everything he had done for her. For the way he

wanted her when nobody else seemed to. For the way he had loved her even when she was nothing more than a shell of herself.

She opened her mouth and expected a waterfall of words to come pouring out, but they didn't.

"I love you," she finally said, hoping it would suffice.

"I love you," he replied, and he walked out her bedroom door.

She walked to her window and peered out, catching one last glimpse of Jacob Black before he drove out of her life. She suspected

that she would see him again one day, maybe a long time from now, when his scars weren't so raw. Time wouldn't cure his wounds,

she knew from experience, but it would help.

She pressed her forehead against the cold rain-splattered glass. Her eyelids began to feel heavy. She walked over to her bed and lay

down, curled into a ball. Exhaustion overtook her body she found herself falling into the dusky black of a restless sleep.

* * *

Throughout the night and well into the next day, the rain beat down mercilessly on the house, the wind and thunder accompanying it, 

creating an oddly soothing symphony. A loud crack of thunder startled Bella and took her out of her dreamless sleep. She glanced at

the bedside alarm clock.

_**1:48 P.M.**_

She sat up quickly and was somewhat delirious. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the dull ache in them telling her that she had

been crying all night. Her head throbbed as she strained to recall the events of the previous day. Had they actually happened or was it

only a nightmare? She looked to her bedside table and saw the cloth she had gotten for Jacob's head only hours earlier, now dry and

crumpled, proof of her cruel reality.

She walked to the bathroom and started the shower, waited for the water to heat up before stepping in and letting it soothe her

exhausted body.

It was amazing how a shower could be so humanizing.

Bella gathered her crumpled clothes and walked down the hallway to her bedroom, and stopped at the threshold.

'_His scent is everywhere,' _Jacob's voice seemed to reverberate throughout the tiny bedroom, which seemed different to her now.

Edward had been here several times without her slightest knowledge.

A sudden thought occurred to her, made her pulse quicken and the blood rush to her cheeks: Someone else would have known about

Edward's return long before Jacob revealed the secret. Someone she thought was her friend, who could have told her.

Someone who could see the future.

Bella dressed in a hurry, her sudden anger fueling her frenzied movements. She ran down the stairs, grabbed her car keys.

She started the truck, the usual deafening groan drowned out by the rain pelting savagely on the metal roof. She suspected she

wouldn't have to drive all the way to the Cullen's house. A tiny scoff escaped her lips.

She could bet her life that Alice was probably halfway to her home right now.

* * *

**I hope that was okay. :/ I'm not really happy with it. I'll do better next time. Promise.**


	14. Open Your Eyes

**A/N:**** Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging reviews:)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book ****Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse. ****The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

Bella turned the windshield wipers on high, but the rain was much too powerful for them to keep up. She

pressed down harder on the gas pedal. The truck refused to go higher than fifty-five miles per hour. The

two-lane road was completely deserted in both directions. A tiny gleam of light in the distance caught

Bella's attention. She craned her neck forward, closer to the windshield and squinted. Coming toward

her, in the opposite lane was a black Mercedes that she recognized instantly as Carlisle's. It was gliding

effortlessly along the road at an impossibly fast speed. Water spouted from the tires as gracefully as it

would from a fountain. The car swerved suddenly and made a perfect U-turn, despite the high speed it

was traveling at, and stopped on the other side of the road.

Bella turned the wheel of her truck sharply to the right and followed suit. Alice was out of the Mercedes

almost before it stopped and was walking toward her hastily. Bella got out of her truck and slammed the

door of her truck so hard, it shuddered from the force. The road was dark, with only the faint glare of her

headlights to give them any source of light.

"Bella-" Alice began.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella demanded as she closed the gap between her and Alice.

"Please, just-" Alice tried again.

"You could have told me. You of all people! You knew what I had been through, and . . . and you didn't

even . . . " her voice cracked with emotion.

"Bella, please," Alice pleaded, putting a hand out to her cautiously.

"No!" Bella recoiled.

"You were supposed to be my friend," she whispered.

"Bella, I _am_ your friend," Alice said, desperation in her voice.

"Please, you have to understand why I couldn't tell you. I tried, but I just couldn't. Edward and I, both of

us, we . . . " Alice sighed, and started over.

"He knew what a wreck you were and he didn't know the best way to tell you. And then . . . you and

Jacob Black . . . " she trailed.

Bella closed her eyes and her stomach churned at the thought of Edward knowing what had happened

between the two of them.

"He only wanted you to be happy, " Alice said delicately.

Bella's shoulders heaved and she sank to her knees on the cold, wet road. Alice was at her side, putting

a comforting arm around her.

"I missed him so much," Bella cried into her shoulder.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," Alice said, pained, while stroking Bella's rain-soaked hair.

"I'm so very sorry."

* * *

Bella could feel the cold that had seeped into her bones begin to dull as the hot water from the shower

comforted her body. She dressed in a sweatshirt and pajama pants and went downstairs. The rain was

coming down in a torrent and the wind howled violently, rattling the windowpanes of the house with its

fury. She curled up with a blanket on the couch, flipped on the television, and let the background noise

soothe her as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

A loud crack of thunder and flash of lightning that illuminated the entire room woke Bella suddenly. The

house was eerily silent and pitch black. The blank screen of the TV told her that the power had gone out.

She got up and felt her way blindly around the living room, banging her knee on the corner of a shelf in

the process. She made her way to the kitchen to the "emergency drawer" that Charlie insisted they have,

and felt around for the candles and matches.

She lit a candle and waited for its glow to light the way for her, and nearly dropped it when she saw the

shadowy outline of a figure sitting on the couch in her living room. She stifled the scream that had crept its

way up her throat, and waited with bated breath for her heart to calm itself before speaking:

"Hello, Edward."

* * *

**I hope this chapter was okay. I know it was a lot shorter, but I had to stop it here. Stay tuned for the conclusion of the story, which will more than likely be the next chapter. :)** **Thanks for reading!**


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